POWER OF ATTORNEY

Know all by these presents that the undersigned hereby constitutes and appoints
each of Matthew R. Broad, Ricardo Cardenas, William R. White, III, Anthony G.
Morrow and Jessica P. Lange, signing singly, the undersigned's true and lawful
attorney-in-fact to:

(1)        execute for and on behalf of the undersigned, in the undersigned's
capacity as a current or retired officer and/or director of Darden Restaurants,
Inc. (the "Company"), Forms 3, 4, and 5 in accordance with Section 16(a) of the
Securities Exchange Act of 1934 and the rules thereunder ("Section 16"), and
Form 144 pursuant to Rule 144 under the Securities Act of 1933, as amended
("Rule 144");

(2)        do and perform any and all acts for and on behalf of the undersigned
which may be necessary or desirable to complete and execute any such Form 3, 4,
or 5, or Form 144, complete and execute any amendment or amendments thereto, and
  file such form with the United States Securities and Exchange Commission, the
New York Stock Exchange and any other stock exchange or similar authority; and

(3)        take any other action of any type whatsoever in connection with the
foregoing which, in the opinion of such attorney-in-fact, may be of benefit to,
in the best interest of, or legally required by, the undersigned, it being
understood that the documents executed by such attorney-in-fact on behalf of the
  undersigned pursuant to this Power of Attorney shall be in such form and shall
  contain such terms and conditions as such attorney-in-fact may approve in such
  attorney-in-fact's discretion.

The undersigned hereby grants to each such attorney-in-fact full power and
authority to do and perform any and every act and thing whatsoever requisite,
necessary, or proper to be done in the exercise of any of the rights and powers
herein granted, as fully to all intents and purposes as the undersigned might or
  could do if personally present, with full power of substitution or revocation,
  hereby ratifying and confirming all that such attorney-in-fact, or such
attorney-in-fact's substitute or substitutes, shall lawfully do or cause to be
done by virtue of this power of attorney and the rights and powers herein
granted.  The undersigned acknowledges that the foregoing attorneys-in-fact, in
serving in such capacity at the request of the undersigned, are not assuming,
nor is the Company assuming, any of the undersigned's responsibilities to comply
  with Section 16 and Rule 144.

This Power of Attorney shall remain in full force and effect until the
undersigned is no longer required to file Forms 3, 4, and 5 and Form 144 with
respect to the undersigned's holdings of and transactions in securities issued
by the Company, unless earlier revoked by the undersigned in a signed writing
delivered to the foregoing attorneys-in-fact.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, the undersigned has caused this Power of Attorney to be
executed as of the 31st day of March, 2016.

							/s/ Alan N. Stillman
							Signature
							Print name:  Alan N. Stillman